Jenny Wren


"Jenny Wren" is a song by Paul McCartney from his 2005 album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. It was also issued as the second single from the album in the United Kingdom 21 November 2005.

Background

"Jenny Wren" was written in Los Angeles, and is about a character of the same name from Charles Dickens' 1865 novel Our Mutual Friend. It also refers to a bird known as the wren, which is reported to be McCartney's favourite. McCartney wrote the tune in the same sort of finger picking style found in "Blackbird", "Mother Nature's Son" and "Calico Skies". The song earned a nomination for the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category.
The solo is played on an Armenian woodwind instrument, called duduk—a first in pop music history—played by Venezuelan-born world winds specialist and multi-instrumentalist Pedro Eustache. The guitar is tuned down a whole step for the song, providing a unique sound that reflects McCartney's earlier works.

Recording

The song was recorded in October 2004, with duduk overdub added in a separate session on 25th of the same month.

Covers and references

The song has been covered by several artists, such as the Norwegian jazz trio SOLID! who recorded an instrumental version on their 2008 release Happy Accidents.

Track listing

  1. "Jenny Wren" – 2:09
  1. "Jenny Wren" – 3:47
  2. "Summer of '59" – 2:11
  1. "Jenny Wren" – 3:47
  2. "I Want You to Fly" – 5:03
  1. "Jenny Wren" – 3:47
  2. "I Want You to Fly" – 5:03
  3. "This Loving Game" – 3:15

    Chart positions

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.